Dolphins at Falcons: Go Long and Play Tall

"Go long and play tall" might be the game plan for Miami Dolphins receiver Brian Hartline in this Sunday's season opener against the Atlanta Falcons. "Go long" because as a rookie receiver he has just started to learn the nuances of his position and keeping his route running fairly simple – just go long - is probably a good idea. "Play tall" because at 6'2", he has a decided height advantage over Atlanta's secondary, all but one of which are under 6'0".

Now, being under 6'0" is not a problem for cornerbacks and safeties. After all, the Dolphins' best cornerback, Will Allen, is 5'10" and Nate Jones is 5'11". But the Falcons secondary also has another issue, they are inexperienced. In an effort to get younger and faster, the Falcons got rid of five members of their secondary during the offseason and drafted seven for the defense. The included a safety, William Moore, in the second round, and a cornerback in both the third (Christopher Owens) and fifth (William Middleton) rounds. The other three cornerbacks on the team at the time - Grimes, Harris and Houston - have 2, 3 and 3 years respectively under their belts.

The remaking of the Falcons secondary this summer has not yet paid off. It has struggled in the preseason giving up 991 yards, 4th highest in the NFL. Opposing quarterbacks did well against the Falcons. In the first preseason game, Detroit starting quarterback Daunte Culpepper had a QB rating of 95.1. In the second against the Rams, Kyle Boller, who had not taken a regular season snap since 2007, had a mediocre rating of 72.7. But in the third game with San Diego, Phillip Rivers and Billy Volek had impressive QB ratings of 131.1 and 150.9.

Even during the final preseason game against the Ravens, third string and former Dolphin QB John Beck started the game with an 8 minute 91-yard drive against 10 of the 11 Atlanta starters that led to a touchdown. For the game his rating was a respectable 108. Even though that was preseason and everybody's numbers are exaggerated, the Falcons' defense led the NFL with a league-high 99.6 QB rating. And leading in that stat is definitely not a good thing.

In order to shore up their defense, this month the Falcons released 5th round draft pick Middleton, obtained safety Tye Hill from the Rams for a 2010 draft pick, and signed veteran defensive back Brian Williams after he was cut by the Jaguars. Given that they have only had a few days to work with each other, it remains to be seen if they can quickly come together as a unit. As a result of their late signing, neither Hill nor Williams will probably play much this Sunday, if at all.

That unit, in whatever state it is, will be tested this Sunday by the Miami Dolphins. Quarterback Chad Pennington, in his second year with the Dolphins, hopes to improve on his 2008 performance, his best season ever. Last year he led the league in pass completion percentage and was why the Dolphins were second in QB rating and fewest interceptions. Like the quarterback on the other side of the field this Sunday, Pennington's ability to manage the game was the main reason the team had an 11-5 record last year and won the division.

But the Dolphins have not rested on their laurels this off-season. They brought more height to the receiver position by drafting 6'5" Patrick Turner in the third round and 6'2" Brian Hartline in the fourth. While Turner has been somewhat invisible this preseason, Hartline showed a lot of promise and was considered by fans to be a legitimate contender to start opposite Ted Ginn. Hartline led the Dolphins in receiving yardage this preseason by catching 5 passes for a 21 yard average.  He displayed an ability to go up and get the ball at times - playing tall - but at others he was out of sync with his quarterback.

Along with the rookies, the Falcons secondary will have to contend with the returning receivers. Veteran Greg Camarillo  was on his way to 70+ catches last year before a season-ending injury to his knee sidelined him in November. He is back this year and has made some nice moves that show he is not thinking about his knee. Ted Ginn Jr. is in his third season and could have a breakout year, as happens with many receivers. During training camp, reports were his routes were crisper and he was getting better separation from defenders. With his speed if he can obtain the same separation during games, he will turn into the downfield threat envisioned for him when he was first drafted. Davone Bess isn't the fastest nor the tallest receiver on the team - in fact he's the shortest at 5'10" - but has shown a knack for getting open underneath. In his second year, he hopes to top the 54 catches he had last year as a rookie.

Except for rookies Hartline and Turner, all of the veteran receivers, tight ends and running backs are in their second year with the same quarterback, offensive coordinator and coaching staff, something uncommon in Miami the last few years. This continuity in personnel and systems can only help them build upon the receiving performance of 2008. The height, experience and continuity advantage of the Dolphins offense will probably prove difficult for the Falcons secondary. And to top it off, the WildCat 2.0 may be unveiled this Sunday...

In addition, Coach Sparano has challenged Pennington and the offense to get "chunkier" (read  20+) yardage this year. Between the size of Camarillo and Hartline, the speed of Ginn and the play making ability of Bess, we may see Pennington attempt more "chunks" this Sunday. Given his dedicated participation in the offseason conditioning program, receivers can expect the deep passes to arrive quicker and with less arc.

If Pennington and team are successful with the longer throws, the Falcons' relatively young and inexperienced secondary could be in for a long, long day. Along with some help from the Dolphins defense against the formidable offensive weapons of the Falcons, their secondary's woes could be a source of a great deal of happiness for the Miami Dolphins.

As for going deep and playing tall, that may be good advice for all of the Dolphins receivers, including Dolphins tight end Joey Haynos. At 6'8" there will be no one playing taller than him on either side of the field.